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The PBA Scorpion Open Sunday on ESPN

England’s Dom Barrett, fully recovered from a broken collar bone sustained nine months earlier in a near-tragic all-terrain vehicle accident in Saudi Arabia, will lead the field of four finalists into the battle for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)’s Scorpion Open title Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Also on Sunday, PBA fans will be able to watch the final rounds of the Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 live on the Internet from Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio.

The Scorpion Open is the third of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the World Series of Bowling at South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

Barrett’s Scorpion Open opponents will include Dave Wodka of Henderson, NV, who won his only PBA Tour title in the 1999 Greater Detroit Open; Sean Rash of suburban Chicago (Montgomery,) IL, who qualified for the ESPN finals in a record six PBA World Series of Bowling events, and 13-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Allen of Baltimore, who is seeking his first title in two years.

Barrett earned the top qualifier position for the Scorpion finals by averaging 233.14 over 14 qualifying games, posting a 3,264 pinfall total. Wodka finished 17 pins behind, followed by Rash and Allen.

Barrett, who qualified for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions by winning a PBA West Regional title in Reno, NV, just before the World Series of Bowling, hopes to join fellow British competitor Stuart Williams as the second English player to win a PBA Tour title. Williams won his first PBA Tour title in the Bayer Viper Open.

“I came (to the United States) to win one of these tournaments,” Barrett said. “Winning the regional gave me a lot of confidence. This is going to be my first (PBA) show and I couldn’t be happier.”

Sunday’s ESPN eliminator-format finals will feature three one-game rounds. All four players bowl the opening game, with the lowest-scoring player after each game being eliminated. In the two rounds to follow, the same “low man out” format applies. In the title match, the two surviving players will bowl for a $15,000 first prize, a PBA Tour title and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions.
In addition to the other benefits, Barrett hopes to become the fourth straight international player to win a World Series of Bowling title. Rash, a four-time PBA Tour champion, is trying for his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters.

The Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 will be webcast live in its entirety on pba.com’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, including Saturday’s qualifying rounds and Sunday’s match play competition. Saturday’s schedule includes nine-game qualifying rounds for Squads A and B at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET, with the top 24 qualifiers advancing to match play Sunday. Sunday’s live coverage will include round-robin match play sessions at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with the top four advancing to the live stepladder finals at 6 p.m.

A Scorpion Open pre-event show will be webcast at no cost on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel starting Wednesday, with a follow-up post-game show immediately following Sunday’s ESPN telecast. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Belmonte Wins Second PBA Titile

Australia’s Jason Belmonte ended his nearly three-year quest for his second Professional Bowlers Association title, stringing eight strikes to run away from Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, 268-191, in the finals of the Chameleon Open at South Point Casino and Hotel.

The Chameleon Open finals, the second of four PBA “animal pattern” championships contested during the third annual PBA World Series of Bowling, aired Sunday on ESPN.
Belmonte, who came into the Chameleon elimination-format finals as the leading qualifier, barely survived the first two games before finding his groove in the title match.

In the opening game, Belmonte’s two-handed rival, Osku Palermaa of Finland, led the four-man field with a 213. Rash was second with a 201, and Belmonte nipped Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, 189-187, to avoid elimination as low man in the round. 

In game two, Rash led the survivors with a 226 while Belmonte edged Palermaa, 200-190, to advance to the title match. Belmonte had lost to Palermaa in the only two previous meetings of the two-handed rivals, and barely escaped a third loss. After throwing a strike on his first ball in the 10th to take the lead over Palermaa, Belmonte left the 3-6-9-10 on his next shot to hand a one-pin lead back to the Finn. But Palermaa then left a 10 pin on his first shot in the 10th frame and failed to convert the spare to hand the game back to Belmonte.

In the title match, the Australian kicked in the afterburners. After converting the 6-10 spare in the first frame, the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year ran off a string of eight consecutive strikes to run away with the $15,000 first prize and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions. Belmonte won his only previous PBA Tour title in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Open.

“This feels a million times better than my first title,” Belmonte beamed. “I bowled one of the best games of my life.

“In the second match, I got very lucky,” he added. “When you get a break like that, you have to take it, pardon the expression, in both hands and I was able to do that.”

By winning the Chameleon Open, Belmonte became the third straight international player to win a PBA World Series of Bowling title. In two previous events, Palermaa captured the PBA World Championship and England’s Stuart Williams won the Bayer Viper Open.

The third “animal pattern” championship, the Scorpion Open, will be settled next Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. The finalists will be England’s Dom Barrett; Dave Wodka of Henderson, NV; Rash and Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, FL.

PBA CHAMELEON OPEN South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas Round One (lowest score eliminated): Osku Palermaa, Finland, 213; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL, 201; Jason Belmonte, Australia, 189; Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 187 ($4,000).

Round Two (lowest score eliminated): Rash 226, Belmonte 200, Palermaa 190 ($4,500).
Championship: Belmonte ($15,000) def. Rash ($7,500), 268-191.

Storm Bowling Acquires Master Industries

Storm Products, Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Master Industries.
Located in Irvine, CA, Master Industries manufactures hundreds of performance bowling accessories including wrist supports, shoe accessories, and pro shop products.

“There is a great synergy between Storm Products, Inc. and Master Industries,” commented Bill Chrisman, owner of Storm Products, Inc. “This will be a great fit for our company.”

The acquisition of Master Industries will solidify Storm’s foundation in bowling and make the consumer product line more complete.

“We will continue Bill Norman’s vision of ‘Made in the USA’ by Master craftsmen,” commented Chrisman. The manufacturing plant in Irvine will remain open and operate under the name Master Industries Worldwide; it will continue to produce and grow the current product line.

Lockport's Kyle Anderson Named Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow

Rockford's Megan Buja Named Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow

Link to Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Schedule.

Hammer Crusades To Save Bowling

On December 1, 2011, Hammer, the leading manufacturer of high-performance bowling balls since the late 1970s, will launch a crusade to save competitive bowling.

While scores have skyrocketed, league participation is at its lowest point in 30 years. In the past 10 years, the number of professional bowlers has dropped by 40% and amateur league bowling has dropped by 20%.

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Hammer’s Save Bowling campaign will awaken bowlers to what’s hurting the sport, like bowling centers that make striking easier by using less oil.

On December 1st, Hammer will unveil a revolutionary system that allows bowlers to compute their true averages based on where they bowl.

The bowling that dominated middle class life in America 30 years ago was a game of skill and hard-earned mastery. This is the game that Hammer will bring back.

Follow the movement at SaveBowling.com.

Walter Ray Is Back With Brunswick
PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. — the winningest player in pro bowling history — has joined the Brunswick Pro Staff (again).

Williams adds his name to a team that includes Parker Bohn III, Ryan Ciminelli, Chris Loschetter, Sean Rash and Tom Smallwood. 

“It’s nice to be back with Brunswick,” said Williams. “It is also great to know that they have confidence in me to be a part of their team. So far, I’ve bowled very well with all of the Brunswick balls I’ve been using. I have had the highest average in my last three PBA tournaments using Brunswick balls, and am looking forward to continued great bowling with them.”

Williams was a Brunswick Pro Staff member previously from early 1995 to late December 2000.

“Brunswick is very excited to welcome Walter Ray back to our Pro Staff,” said Nick Stickler, Vice President Consumer and After-Market Products. “We have a great line-up of bowlers on tour, and we look forward to a great season.”

PBA Stars Invited to Japan's DHC Championships
Twelve PBA champions have been invited by the Japan Bowling Congress to compete in the 2012 DHC International Bowling Championships, the first major international bowling event to take place in Japan since the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2010. The DHC Championships will take place Feb. 7-11 at Hakata Star Lanes in Fukuoka, Japan.

PBA stars who have accepted invitations to compete, based upon performances in the 2010 WTBA World Men’s Championships and/or the 2010-11 PBA Tour season are Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas; Patrick Allen, Baltimore; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas; Bill O’Neill, Southampton, PA; Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI; Jason Belmonte, Australia; Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, SC.; Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL, and Norm Duke, Clermont, FL.

PBA Tour titlist Kelly Kulick, two-time PBA Regional title winner Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, CA, and two-time PBA Women’s Series winner Shannon Pluhowsky of Kettering, Ohio, also have accepted invitations to bowl in the women’s division of the event.

The DHC International Bowling Championship will be part of the WTBA’s 2012 World Bowling Tour and will offer a combined prize fund estimated at US$375,000, including $75,000 each to the men’s and women’s champions.

The “invited” players will automatically qualify for the championship portion of the tournament, but any other bowler can enter through the two-day “trial” portion of the tournament Feb. 7-8 for a $50 entry fee per six-game qualifying round (re-entries are allowed). The “trials” leaders will join the invited players in the championship portion of the event Feb. 9-11.

Storm Bowling Shoes Are Coming

Dexter Bowling and Storm Products have announced an official partnership to create a new line of licensed Storm footwear. Under the agreement, Dexter, makers of the world’s #1 bowling shoe, will design and manufacture a new line of performance and athletic footwear for Storm, the first-ever footwear line for the market-leading ball and accessory maker.

“We are pleased to form this alliance with Storm, one of the most respected names in the world of bowling,” says Bud Clapsaddle, Vice President, Dexter Bowling. “This partnership brings together two of the foremost brands in our sport today. With Dexter’s industry-leading designs and Storm’s reputation as a cutting-edge equipment manufacturer, this collaboration will produce one of the pre-eminent product lines in the global bowling market.”

Production on the new footwear line is expected to begin late 2011 and be available June/July 2012.  This new collection will be sold in bowling pro shops through Storm product representatives worldwide.

Bowling’s Hall of Fame Xtravaganza

The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (IBMHF) is proud to introduce
an all new annual national event to the industry – Bowling’s Hall of Fame Xtravaganza.

After a season from October – March when thousands of league and casual bowlers will roll in qualifying rounds in America’s bowling centers, 500 finalists will each win a four day three night trip to the incredible Red Rock Resort and Red Rock Lanes bowling center in Las Vegas, where they will compete for an additional $25,000 in cash and prizes May 31- June 3, 2012.

Partnering in the event with the IBMHF are the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, the United States Bowling Congress, Strike Ten Entertainment, Station Casinos Lanes of Las Vegas, and industry sponsors Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and Musselman’s Applesauce.

One of the primary goals of the new event was to give all bowlers, regardless of their skill level, a chance to compete in a prestigious event with significant prizes, at an entry fee anyone can afford. The entry fee for a league or casual bowler to compete in an Xtravanganza qualifier during league or casual play is only $2.

From that beginning, standings will be kept in each participating center; and house finals in the Spring will determine who will represent each center in the Las Vegas Finals.
The event will become a major fund raiser for the IBMHF in Arlington, Texas, with a portion of each finalist entry fee (paid by the bowling center) going to the Hall of Fame. The new event will also give bowling centers a great opportunity to boost business
by holding qualifying events and Xtravaganza Leagues where bowlers can try to qualify every week.

The unique, non-traditional format of the event is designed to be fun and fair for all types of bowlers. It will give bowlers of all skill levels a fair chance to make the national finals. The details of the four-game format will be announced soon.

Bowlers will qualify on the house level in Singles; and the National Finals will be Doubles, with a goal of 250 teams in Las Vegas. House Singles winners will pick their doubles partner from fellow house qualifiers. Plans are also underway to bring Hall of Fame professional bowlers to the Xtravaganza finals to meet the finalists, put on
exhibitions, give tips to the finalists, and serve as ambassadors for the Hall of Fame.

Junior Gold, North Pointe Insurance Bowling Events to Merge From Bowlers Journal International Magazine:
 
Is one tournament better than two?
 
Leaders of the USBC and BPAA believe it is when the tournament is the new $250,000 North Pointe Junior Gold Championships, presented by Brunswick.
 
The tournament is made possible by the merger of the USBC’s Junior Gold Championships and the BPAA’s North Pointe High School Singles Championships.
 
The new combined event will feature some significant changes:
 
• USBC Junior Gold membership no longer will have a minimum average requirement.
 
• The tournament will have two age-based divisions — 20 and under, and 15 and under  — with separate competition for boys and girls.
 
“The creation of the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships is a remarkable example of bowling’s membership organizations and leading sponsors coming together to make a change that benefits the kids,” said International Bowling Campus Director of Youth Development Chad Murphy.
 
“We now have a significant event for children 15 and under, which is a critical development age, (we have) preserved the opportunities for older teens, and opened the benefits of Junior Gold membership to all youth bowlers.”
 
North Pointe Insurance is the nation's largest insurer of independent bowling centers. In addition to its sponsorship of the Junior Gold Championships, North Pointe has made a multi-year commitment to the Youth Education Services Fund and will be recognized as a YES Fund founding partner.
 
Junior Gold will continue to be open to youth bowlers who qualify at regional events around country, and will award automatic bids to Junior Team USA as part of the competition. The 2012 event will be held in Indianapolis in July, in conjunction with the USBC Youth Open.
 

PBA Regional Roundup

Former PBA Tour exempt player Brian Waliczek of Birch Run, MI defeated Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 189-132, to win the PBA Central Region’s fourth annual Lefeld Implement Classic at Pla-Mor Lanes Sunday, Aug. 21. The title was Waliczek’s seventh in PBA Regional competition and earned him a $4,000 prize.

Also in the Central Region, a number of PBA Senior Tour stars made a stop at Al-Mar Lanes in Bowling Green, Ohio, between the Decatur, IL and Jackson, MI, tour events. Tom Baker of King, NC, defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, 234-197, on Friday, Aug. 19, to win the Progressive/Gerdeman Insurance Agency Senior Classic and a $3,500 first prize. It was Baker’s 22nd overall PBA Regional title.

In the PBA East Region, Brent Hunter of Glenville, PA, defeated Tommy Brodowski of New Hyde Park, NY, 237-204, to win the Colony Park Lanes Senior Open at Colony Park Lanes East in York, PA, Sunday for his first PBA Regional title. The win qualifies Hunter for the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions, which will be held at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas next April.

In the PBA South Region, Jason Sterner of McDougal, GA, won seven of eight matches and went on to record a 94-pin victory over Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, NC, in the Budweiser Columbia (S.C.) Open at Royal Z Lanes Sunday. Sterner, who was in third place after 13 qualifying games, finished match play with a 21-game total of 5,281 pins to claim his sixth career PBA Regional title and the $2,500 first prize.

In Chillicothe, MO, amateur Dave Williams Jr. of Omaha, NE, defeated Duane Kilts of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 255-212, to win the PBA Midwest Region Fast Lane Non-Champions Challenger Open on Sunday. Because he is an amateur, Williams does not earn eligibility for the PBA Tournament of Champions.

In the PBA Southwest Region, amateur Robert Klann from Cibola, Texas, defeated two-time defending champion Nathan Bohr of Wichita, KS, 255-215, to win the 15th annual Killeen Open at Hallmark Lanes in Killeen, Texas, on Sunday. Klann, a recent Lindenwood University graduate bowling in only his second PBA Regional, won all seven single-elimination match games on his way to his first PBA win. As a non-member, however, Klann doesn’t qualify for the PBA Tournament of Champions.

In the PBA Northwest Region, Erik Hohlbein of Renton, WA, posted a 9-3 match play record and compiled a total of 4,859 pins Sunday to win his fifth career regional title in the Dave Husted Northwest Open at Milwaukie Bowl in Milwaukie, OR Hohlbein, who earned $2,000, defeated Bob Davidson of Seattle by 247 pins for the title.

Next weekend’s round of PBA Regional events includes the PBA East Region Mil-Ray Foods Open at 30 Strikes in Stratford, NJ; the Midwest Region Premiere Bowling and Entertainment Center Open in Pleasant Hill, Iowa; the PBA Southwest Region Greenville (Texas) Open at DB’s Sports Grill and Bowling, and the West Region’s Pain Center Open at Johnson Lanes in Sun City West, Ariz. All are Friday-Sunday events.

For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

QUICK NOTES: England’s Dominic Barrett defeated PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, 484-465, in the two-game title match of the BNC Open at BNC Bowling Center in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Sunday, Aug. 21.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association’s fledgling World Bowling Tour has already booked a new event for the 2012 season. The WBT will include the Bahamas International Bowling Classic, Feb. 27-March 4 at Mario's Bowling and Entertainment Palace, a new 50-lane bowling center in Nassau. It will mark the first time a World Bowling Tour event will be held in the American Zone outside of the United States.

PBA Central/Midwest Orland Bowl Senior Open(s)

Bowled at Orland Bowl for the PBA Central/Midwest Orland Bowl Senior Open (1 and 2) sponsored by All State Insurance.

(Thanks All State and Orland Bowl).

+41 made money on Saturday, +59 for finals. Sunday on the new Cheetah, +40 and +65 for Finals.

Nice to see so many familiar faces checking in for the Pro Am Friday, hope everyone had fun.

A whopping 192 average Saturday put me back in the pack and 179 on Sunday way back (but higher than 10 of the 62 competitors, that's something, isn't it?), the Cheetah was supposed to be the "easiest" PBA Senior condition (not anymore)!

Once again, I walked out of the center with a renewed sense of the skill and experience of the players. Throwing too many options at the problem seems to be my frustration.

A sense of how to roll the ball is easy from the practice sessions. I'm usually throwing plenty of strikes for part of practice. How the competitors break the lanes down seems to be my Achilles heel. The swing gets a little tight and Oh Boy.

My wife Kathy mentioned something Sunday that I hope will inspire me. For the next couple events, as well as a visit up North to the Peterson Classic in Hoffman Estates, my strategy will be less make a specific ball work or use only one delivery, but get comfortable with the environment.

I've been over thinking and over reacting to changes in the conditions. By and large I've made good ball choices, but unlike league, I'm too willing to make a quick switch to try to strike gold (or just STRIKE). Scoring has not been very demanding, a 210 average would have gotten me into finals 3 out of 4 events, and 203 got me in in my first one this year.

Big props to Dave Manderson, Bob Flaws, and John Dudak for making the finals Saturday.

Congrats to Pete Gurskis and Mike Truitt for making money Sunday. Truitt bowled for the title, losing in the Championship game 183-170 to Kenny Parks from Hammond, Indiana. Jerry Morano, Bob Kicmal, and Tony Majcher got close. Great bowling on what was a surprising lane condition.

The good news, bowling on 37 foot pattern and 35 foot pattern over the weekend prepared me well for the 35 foot Kegel Boardwalk pattern at league at Palos Lanes on Monday. The sport pattern broke down quickly, but my lovely wife's thoughts stayed with me and I just focused on making good shots. Even with a big open in the 10th frame of game 2, I managed a 672.

Keep your ball on the lane and good luck carrying the corners.

Warren